New Exoskeleton Gives Soldiers Super-Strength

Discovery News New Exoskeleton Gives Soldiers Super-Strength: "Stronger, faster and harder is the promise of a new exoskeleton developed by Lockheed Martin for U.S. soldiers. Dubbed the Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, the device helps a soldier carry up to 200 pounds at a top speed of 10 mph.

"'The soldier has the feeling of maybe an extra five to 10 pounds,' said Doug Medcalf, Business Development Manager at Lockheed Martin. Today some soldiers are carrying loads of up to 130 pounds into combat."

"The HULC is easy to put on, its makers report. It arrives folded into a small package. The soldier stretches a leg out and steps into foot beds underneath the boot. Straps wrap around the thighs, waist and shoulders."

"The foot pads ensure that the weight from the soldier's load rests directly on the ground, not on the soldier's body. Inside the foot pads are pressure sensors that relay information about the speed and walking style of the soldier to an onboard computer. The computer's artificial intelligence moves the hydraulic system to amplify and enhance that movement."